The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-04-08
POKER JACK, OF KYUSE.
Tho Tragic Eud Of His child swe the,

The Tragic Eud of His Child Sve thesrt.
il i,-7 the camp OF yuse. iu Mon
tau.t. was about the Aiakeic-t place il
America 10 w - hidden away from lIe
world Hu three -l.H- .- -l..l. mountain
w.il- that w.ur.p tIt..- II....- ks.. .u.i bat
uel Jail. Do mighty Stress s-lH- with Llu
sunlight that wa- ever trying % shoot
Loau To- t-e narrow streets "a this min
ing town.
Uu tie fourth side Of Eyuse was val
ley hat stretched away with green slopes.
crossed 10y many rivers, 10 the Bad
Lands.
The most impure thing in Kyuse was
Poker Jack, and the purazt Lie
Jone-. One was a gambler, the other a
little girl VINO sang III the Theatre Com
ique.
The one was a man OF brains and
nerve but moral wreck, who neither
feared men below nor the God above.
Poker Jack ruled hyuse at the muLZ.e
OF his pistol. Lie Jones was l. years
OLD, the daughter OF the proprietor OF
the COmique \ shy, shrinking child,
with big blue eyes ana "a form more del
lcate III outline than any belle in hyu5e
could boast Of
But the chiId's great charm was her
voice, which was mellow and OF marVell-
Gus purity. Her parents realized its
financial benefits 10y putting her on the
stage Wien she was twelve years old.
L cry night when Lie sang the Com
lque coined money.
Only Poker Jack, wicked as he was,
coulI win "a kiss or a smile from her
For him she bore tender love, while
yet she saw all of his sniuluess. She
overlooked that, though, because OF his
tenderness to her. 1t was he who
brought her flowers that spoke to her
In purer better words than he ever used
to any other woman, II was h- who be
came in a sense her guardian, and saved
her from fall that comes too often TO
girls as young as she
This chiI.-swee- heart let her fancy
make him a hero, and so she worshiped
him. hyuse watched the affair with a
critical eve but said nothing. Poker
Jack was too good a pistol shot TO be
twitted about any affair OF that charac-
ter.
Lie" hated the Comique and the
songs she sang there. Everything iu
and about the place was typical 10 her
OF al that was low and debaslug In life.
Poker Jack said one day:
Little one, some day we'oI leave the
gambling and the CoMIgug behind us
you and and 90 over tine range never
to come back"
That promise she never forgot
One afternoon in June, 1917, Lie
and JacS went down to the valley for a
stroll. Lie. was TO sing that night,
and, as usual, the fact depressed her.
Jack wa doing his best 10 cheer but
with little effect, until Le suggested that
she sing one OF his favorite songs that
night. The idea OF pleasing Inn took
her heart a once, and when they reached
the town she was happy
The stage Uell at the C0migue rang at
O'Clock that night, and the clr.aiu
rolled uP and Liz came out, greeted
with a Wu.TiNiu3 of applause. She was
dressed unusually pretty in some finsy
gauze InteT.aCvu with ribbons. and at
her throat "a mountain TU-e-Jack'7 con
tTibutIOu. She looked down ON the mot
ley crowd before her until she caught
his eye, and then she smiled glad
recognition.
IL was terrible position in which to
place child. kyu-e society con I7Jed
OF gamblers and miners and soldiers.
Naturally, then. the Cumigue was one
great .ar-rOom. The aH,Itar- E thered
around tables, IN boN--lail- or lus
gallery. nlo..u-, drl.i,iuE and talking
went on aj ail II Igs-
UuJ oI the p ., lro the stalls aud -l.-
lyry came cloud OF sm0.c, la en- vI
poisoned crIuue OF vile liquors. 1t
curled up and around tie raLters IL
Euostiy nape--circied I'm ON the stage
until IL enveloped the child.
H,r eyes were fixed on Ju k. his
raised TO h,rs, and she was only singing
to him.
Tho hoofs of my =-cafi are saod w.t.
fire :" she sang. while u her u.ud sine
wa- We. CrTIuE would the laE-.'-..-ru
of a better world .yar come true l1 leT
and Jack. Il lO e tuI .hee. lHr-.t..u
were ali but JaeE as sire sang L.I- line.
this wait of tie mountains
\ biue-coateI soldier leaned across